A new report from the Federal Energy Commission shows that 99% of electrical capacity added in January came from non-hydro renewable energy sources, showing that the renewable energy market is off to a strong start for the year. While the overall percentage of renewable energy generation capacity is small, it is growing rapidly, especially compared to coal and other energy sources. Renewable energy represents just over 16% of the nation’s generation capacity. Much of that comes from hydropower, 8.44% of the national total. Wind follows at 5.20%, biomass at 1.36%, solar at .7%, and geothermal steam at .33%. In comparison, nuclear power represents 9.26% of the national total, and oil sits at 4.04%. Nor were the renewable energy growth rates for January an anomaly. They matched several months of renewable energy growth from 2013- November, October, and March of 2014 all posted similar figures. Domestic renewable energy capacity added 324 MW in January of 2014. Solar powered most of this increase, with 87 plants adding 287 MW of capacity. Geothermal steam added 30 MW, biomass added 4 MW, and wind added 1 MW. Only 1 MW was added by non-renewable energy sources. Further, the Department of Defense has been spurring growth in the renewable energy market as well. In January, the Army Corps of Engineers announced 20 new renewable energy contracts, part of an overall $7 billion the Department of Defense intends to spend on renewables. The overall campaign includes wind, solar, biomass, and geothermal, though no new geothermal contracts were included in the most recent batch.

The Michigan Public Services Commission released its annual report on the prospect of the renewable energy market in the state today. It noted that the renewable energy interim targets mandated by Michigan state law were met with resounding success by all state utility companies. The state passed legislature to mandate 10% power generation from renewable sources by the year 2015. The report released today, detailing the power generation data from 2012, showed that 2012 was the first year where state utility companies were able to meet their interim targets and that the state was on track to meet its power mandate by 2015. 1,100 MW of renewable energy generation have been added since the legislation was passed and the standards came into effect. Michigan’s governor, Rick Snyder, has made lowering electricity prices and increasing electrical efficiency a priority of his. He further has hinted at a possible 20% renewable energy mandate by the year 2025, although this proposal has not yet been introduced to the state legislature. Further statistics of note from the report include the fact that the weighted average cost of producing renewable energy in Michigan is 30% less than the cost of producing energy through new coal-fired plants. Growth in the wind energy generation industry seems to be driving the state towards meeting its goals. Michigan currently has 1,100 MW of wind energy generation capacity, and is on track to reach more than 1,400 MW of wind energy by the end of this year.

A partnership between the Norwegian Investment Fund for Developing Countries, Dutch developer Gigawatt Global Cooperatief, and Scatef Solar recently closed $23.7 million in financing for a 8.5 MW solar plant in Rwanda. The plant is located outside the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda’s Eastern Province. It will be the first large-scale solar photovoltaic power field in East Africa and is expected to begin operation in summer of this year. It was constructed as part a project by the Rwandan government to increase electrical capacity fivefold by 2017, and the plant will increase Rwanda’s current generation capacity by 8 percent. Rwanda’s current generation capacity sits at 110 MW as of 2013, and thus will be raised to 560 MW in three years. This is part of a goal to allow 50% of the Rwandan population access to electricity. The plant will provide 16 million kWh to the Rwandan national power grid, according to a quarter century PPA with the Rwandan Energy, Water, and Sanitation Authority. The projects capital was provided by the Dutch Development Bank FMO, the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund, and Norfund. As noted by FMO’s CIO, Linda Broekhuizen, “In terms of fast execution this project is remarkable, as we rarely see energy projects coming into the construction phase so fast.”

Yesterday, February 13, the world’s largest solar thermal power plant opened up in Nevada in the Mojave Desert. Named Ivanpah, the solar complex covers over 3,500 acres of land, with 173,500 heliostats and 3 459-foot towers. All told, the complex can produce 392 MW at full operating capacity. The Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System was created through the partnership of Google, NRG Energy, and Bright Source Energy. The latter is an Oakland based renewable energy startup. Readers of this blog will also remember that Google has been moving into the renewable energy market. Last October Google invested $103 million in a solar energy plant under construction in Southern California, its 13th investment in the renewable energy sphere. Secretary of Energy, Ernest Moniz, was present for the opening ceremony. He said, ““Four of the world’s five biggest CSP projects and the first five U.S. utility-scale PV projects were supported by DOE loan guarantees. As a result, none of the next ten utility-scale solar installations required federal support.” Some questions, however, remain about the new facility. It is a thermal plant, as opposed to the standard industry photovoltaic plants. Its detractors have claimed that this technology can kill off wildlife (some dead birds were found with singed feathers), and that the power is more expensive than photovoltaic methods. Bright Source and other supporters of the new technology counter that solar thermal allows for stable production and storage of power even when the sun isn’t shining, that this technology makes more sense than photovoltaic on a mass scale, and that the reduction in fossil fuel use more than counterbalances any possible disruption of wildlife habitats (Indeed, the plant already went through a thorough investigation of possible impacts of a species of turtle in the area).

A Ghanaian renewable energy startup firm was purchased for 7-figures by Persistent Energy Partners today. The firm, Energy in Common, leases and sells solar panels to low income households. Energy in Common works similar to Kiva and other microloan companies. Donators combine to contribute money towards a loan to purchase solar panels and renewable energy generation equipment. Rural Ghanaian villagers take the loan, and pay them back over time with the additional earnings that electrical power has led to. The average Ghanaian earns $1-$6 a day, so projects that can directly help low income villagers are vital for the nation. Energy in Common’s combination of microloans and micro-grid and off-grid technology provides the perfect solution to the lack of access to electricity and power in rural Ghanaian villages.